


Birthday Boys

by vanillafluffy



Category: Political Animals
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, Gen, Stress, TJ Hammond is a Rock Star
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 07:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7926304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillafluffy/pseuds/vanillafluffy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Douglas Hammond has all the stress he can handle from his job--plus it's his birthday...and his brother's....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Boys

**Author's Note:**

> References "Alas My Love, You Do Me Wrong" and "Stepping Up" but can probably stand alone.

Douglas Hammond is having A Day. Being his mother's Chief of Staff is like juggling chainsaws while riding a unicycle on a tightrope across a pit filled with hungry tigers. It's tricky, and he's constantly afraid it won't end well. 

Today's crises are criticism of FEMA response to flood conditions in the Midwest, multiple fatalities after a bridge collapse in Oregon, and the cherry on the shit sundae, four American college students being held in Romania after they'd graffitied a historical site. Add to that, it's his birthday, and he's pretty sure the quiet dinner with Anne isn't going to happen, at least not tonight. 

Alice is scanning the printout of the statement he's going to make about the bridge collapse when he walks into her office. She hands him a copy, and he skims through it. 

"Great stuff," he says after a moment. "I especially like the part where you hang Fred Collier up like a piñata."

She sniffs. "He deserves it. He abandoned all Garcetti's remedial infrastructure plans before the man was even cold. I have the numbers from the proposed budget--Oregon's share would have significantly upgraded that bridge and done a lot of good elsewhere in the state, but he decided new spy satellites were more important."

"I have no problem hanging that asshole out to dry," Douglas says, looking up from the page. 

"Oh, and you didn't hear it from me, but I saw your brother go into the Oval a little while ago."

Now what? Mom has enough on her plate right now...the last time TJ paid her a visit, she'd been crying when he left. With everything else going on today, she doesn't need to deal with her problem child. 

He heads back to the Oval. "Pauline Samson is in with her now," says his mom's assistant. "They're having a conference call with the Romanian Prime Minister."

"Have you seen my brother at all?"

"He popped in with some lovely flowers just before the Secretary of State got here. He wasn't in there for more than five minutes, tops."

At least TJ hasn't upset her this time. She never did explain what that had been about, but lately, TJ has been suspiciously happy. True, he'd handled the brouhaha surrounding Dad's heart attack with surprising aplomb, but in his experience, when TJ gets happy, it usually means he's about to do something stupid, like that nightclub business. Word is, he's been trying to get financed to buy that piano store he's been working at. He hasn't come around to tap him for a loan--could that be why he'd been in to see Mom?

When he gets back to his office, two things are immediately obvious: There's a big blue envelope in the middle of his desk, and TJ is sitting in his desk chair, feet up. He's helped himself to a Tootsie Pop from the jar on the credenza, and he's smiling. 

"To what do I owe the honor?" Doug asks dryly, expecting a sales pitch. 

TJ sits up and takes the lollipop out of his mouth. "What, I can't come by to wish my dweeby little brother a happy birthday?"

Doug starts to retort that it's only a ten-minute age difference, and stops with his mouth open. 

"You forgot, didn't you?" TJ is smirking. 

"I'm sorry, bro" Doug says sheepishly. "I totally spaced."

"No big deal. Mom wants to do a family dinner around eight tonight. You've still got time."

Maybe he can ask Anne to run out for something? Because he sure as hell isn't going to have time this afternoon to run out and shop. 

TJ slides the envelope toward him. Doug sets the speech carefully on the desk and picks up the blue rectangle. It's a typical birthday card. It says "Happy Birthday" on the front over a drawing of a cake. 

Inside, "to the ~~family member~~ I'm least ashamed to be related to". Above the crossed-out words, he's scribbled in "brother". Below the message are his initials. 

"It's not like you have any other brothers to be ashamed of." There's a gift card from Barnes and Noble; he can add some goodies to the Nook he seldom has time to use. 

"Yeah, I know. Lucky for you, or you might not be in last place." TJ hops up from the chair, gives him a hug and ruffles his hair with both hands. "See you tonight."

"Damn it, I have to make a statement In a half-hour!"

"Right, and make-up services can run a comb through your hair." TJ looks pleased with himself as he strides out of the office, and Douglas sighs. 

Time to get back to the circus. First, the press conference, then heads are going to roll st FEMA. 

 

...


End file.
